


Hallowed and Hollow

by Resilur



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, Ghosts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-19
Updated: 2019-08-19
Packaged: 2020-09-07 06:57:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20305327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Resilur/pseuds/Resilur
Summary: Harry never even noticed that his body still lay cradled in Hagrid’s arms.





	Hallowed and Hollow

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SomeHorribleFen](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomeHorribleFen/gifts).

The Death Eaters were crowing victoriously as they marched back to the castle, Hagrid was sobbing as he cried his young friend’s body, and Harry was starting to realize that he couldn’t manage to move even if he wanted to.

It was a curious feeling, really – he felt somehow lighter than before, and it was almost as if he was detached from his body. In any case, he knew it would be better to keep still for now, so he didn’t fight it too hard. It was oddly comfortable, in fact, almost as if he was drifting away…

But he was snapped back to awareness as Neville stood face-to-face with Voldemort, and as the screams and chaos grew louder Harry dredged up all his determination – 

And he managed to _move_, to help, to join the ensuing battle.

He never even noticed that his body still lay cradled in Hagrid’s arms.

\---

“We can’t just let things go on like this!”

Harry paused as he heard Hermione’s voice drift from the other room.

Ron’s voice was equally as harsh, though Harry could tell both were trying to keep their voices down, even as whatever argument they were in the middle of grew more heated. “And just why not? Everything’s fine, he’s happy, he doesn’t even seem to notice –”

“That’s exactly the problem! This can’t possibly be good for him, it isn’t right for us to –”

“_At least he’s still here with us!_” Ron nearly roared, all thoughts of staying quiet clearly having been forgotten.

They likely would have continued, but instead froze as Harry turned the corner, their faces draining of color in an instant.

Their frantic attempts to change the subject and divert his attention were the most awkward and blatant Harry had ever seen, and he could tell from their faces that they knew he wasn’t buying it.

Usually he’d be like a dog with a bone about this sort of thing (and he was at least self-aware enough to admit that to himself). Between his natural curiosity and a hard-learned wariness of people keeping things from him, he just couldn’t bring himself _not_ to pry.

So, he didn’t consciously make the decision to let it go, but for some reason, he never actually pursued it this time.

\---

To be perfectly honest, they didn’t really know what Harry was at all.

He was clearly not alive. (They’d eventually buried the corpse, in a fairly non-descript, out-of-the-way grave. It had been an awkward, pained affair, with none of them able to decide if it was a funeral or not.)

But at the same time, he was markedly different than the other ghosts they’d known. There was a degree of color and solidity to him that Nick and the others had entirely lacked.

(Luna had theories, of course. Even Hermione found herself leaning toward believing them, though she still desperately tried to find a more rational explanation.)

In the end, they wound up just trying to _ignore_ the faint translucency, and the deathly chill whenever they touched him.

And for a time, it almost worked. But as the years passed, it more and more became an unavoidable fact that he no longer aged, even if Harry himself seemed completely oblivious to it.

\---

Harry wasn’t sure how many years it had been since the battle at Hogwarts; he had long since lost track of the passage of time. As he walked, he carried with him the Elder Wand and the Resurrection Stone. His Invisibility Cloak covered him – unnecessary, but it had felt fitting to wear it now of all times.

He took it off once he reached his destination, laying it on the ground and setting the wand and stone ring on top of it.

And for the first time, Harry Potter stood before and acknowledged his own timeworn tombstone.


End file.
